1 O h, that you were like my brother, Who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I should find you outside, I would kiss you; I would not be despised.

¶ O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; and I should not be despised.

2 I would lead you and bring you Into the house of my mother, She who used to instruct me. I would cause you to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate. (To the Daughters of Jerusalem)

I would lead thee and bring thee into my mother’s house, that thou would instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

3 H is left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraces me.

His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases. Love Renewed in Lebanon A Relative

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye not awake nor stir up love until he pleases.

5 W ho is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; There she who bore you brought you forth. The Shulamite to Her Beloved

¶ Who is she that comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I woke thee up under the apple tree; there thy mother had birth pains; there she had pains that brought thee into the light.

6 S et me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a sign upon thine arm; for love is strong as death; jealousy is hard as Sheol; the coals thereof are coals of fire, which have a most vehement flame.

7 M any waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love All the wealth of his house, It would be utterly despised. The Shulamite’s Brothers

The many waters cannot quench love, neither can the rivers drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for this love, it would certainly be despised.

8 W e have a little sister, And she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister In the day when she is spoken for?

¶ We have a little sister, and she still has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?

9 I f she is a wall, We will build upon her A battlement of silver; And if she is a door, We will enclose her With boards of cedar. The Shulamite

If she is a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver; and if she is a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

10 I am a wall, And my breasts like towers; Then I became in his eyes As one who found peace.

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers since I was in his eyes as the one that found peace.

11 S olomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon; He leased the vineyard to keepers; Everyone was to bring for its fruit A thousand silver coins. (To Solomon)

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; for its fruit each one was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

12 M y own vineyard is before me. You, O Solomon, may have a thousand, And those who tend its fruit two hundred. The Beloved

My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; the thousand pieces shall be thine, O Solomon, and two hundred for those that keep the fruit.

13 Y ou who dwell in the gardens, The companions listen for your voice— Let me hear it! The Shulamite

¶ Thou, she that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice; cause me to hear it.

14 M ake haste, my beloved, And be like a gazelle Or a young stag On the mountains of spices.

Run, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.